child-gam-msg - 8/25/00

Period and SCA children's games and activities.

NOTE: See also the files: children-msg, toys-msg, dolls-msg, games-msg, 
games-SCA-msg, sports-msg, chd-actvites-msg, Toys-in-th-MA-art.

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This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have 
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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: tip at lead.tmc.edu (Tom Perigrin)
Date: 9 Dec 91 19:20:12 GMT
Organization: A.I. Chem Lab, University of Arizona

Unto David the Newbie,  doth Thomas Ignatius Perigrinus send his greetings.

My Lord,   thou hast made no mistakes of note,  and I welcome thee to our
number.   As per thy enquirey as to diversions for children,  I am happy to
say that I know of several.   Please Note,  gentle David,  that many of
these games are suitable for all at an event,  and not just children.

Thou mayest consider nine pins.  If thou canst find a turner to make thy
pins, so much the better.  But even if not,  then thou canst use lengths
of dowel as large in compass as thou mayest purchase and of length some
two handspans, as thy pins.  For balls thou might assay a "softball",  or
balls froma  cricket set, or whatever takes thy fantasy.

Another game which finds the favour of many is rope and boxes.   Thou takest
two boxes,  each of a similar size, and each of about 3 handspans square and
one or two spans hieght.   The boxes are placed firm upon the ground, and 
upon each box doth one contestant stand.   Then a length of goodly rope,
twice as thick as thy thumb,  and a full rod or two in length,  is place in 
each combatants hands.  And upon the cry,  they each attempt to pull the other
from his place,  or failing that, to cause the other to lose the rope.

Another game doth use much the same boxes,  but thou placest them in
close proximity, and then the combatants (for truely they are combatants!)
take up pillow cases stuffed with rags,  and attempt to knock one the 
other off their box.

Another goodly game is Huggy Tag,  which occasionally goes under the
ill sounding name of "clench a wench"   (truely a distastefull name,  for
I wouldst to hug a lady,  but never come to grips with a harlot).   One
child is "the goat",  and the rest run about.  Each persued child may hug
but one other,  and then these two are safe.   But any child which is not
being hugged may be tagged and become the goat.  To add more fun,  thou mayest
add this rule;   any who tags the goat when they are not being hugged, and 
whom the goat does not tag in return, may collect one pebble from the master
of the games.   But when the goat touches a child and they become the 
goat,  they must give up a pebble.  AT the end of the game,  the child with
the most pebbles wins a small prize.

These are but a few that we do play about our sites.   An thou dost not
receive more than thou dost need,  I pray that thou mayst feel most welcome
to respond once again, and I shall tell thee more.

I remain,

Thy Humble Servant,
Thomas Ignatius Perigrinus


From: hrjones at uclink.berkeley.edu (Heather Rose Jones)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period games for children
Date: 8 Sep 1996 17:04:43 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley

Ernie Tomlinson (imagine at island.net) wrote:
: If anyone can post or email me any info on games or activities for
: children (the whole range: 2-15 Years) that we might try at events, it
: would be greatly appreciated.

I can't give you the information directly, but I can point you to an
excellant place to look.  One of Breughel's paintings is of a whole
village full of children engaged in the games of his day. (He did a
similar painting illustrating proverbs.) I am quite certain that there are
any number of books or articles analyzing and describing the games shown
in this painting.

Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn


From: Edwin Hewitt <brogoose at pe.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period games for children
Date: 8 Sep 1996 20:13:24 GMT

I own an old book printed in New York during a paper shortage.  
It is called "A History of Everyday Things in England," by Marjorie
and CHB Quennell.  It was published by Charles Scribner's Sons, 
sometime about or after 1918. 

It is the first of what was suppossed to be a two book series, 
but I don't know if the second book was ever published.  
It covers from 1066 to 1499, and includes childrens' games, 
costuming, furnature, forts, monasteries, jousts and warefare, 
and all sorts of things.  Well illustrated, it was designed for
English public school children, who grew up without the proper
sense of their history.

I will quote from a 14th century section, p. 143:

        "In the fourteenth century we hear of cards being played, 
and also of a curious game, called 'Ragman's Roll.'  In this a roll
or parchment was used, on which various verses were written
describing the characters of the players, each verse having a string
and deal attached.  These seals were hundg down from the rolled-up 
parchment and each person drew one of the seals, and had to take on 
the character attached to that particular verse.
        Games of questions and answers and of forfeits were also 
played, and dancing was very general.  Many dances took place out 
of doors, and we often hear of picnics and, after the meal, dancing.    
        "...Our next illustration, No. 63, is of a game called
"Hot Cockles."  It is played thus:  One player kneels blindfolded, 
holding her hands behind, while the others strike her hands, she
trying to guess the name of the stiker...."

It seems this book is rather rare, but I highly recommend it.


From: sandradodd at aol.com (SandraDodd)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period games for children
Date: 9 Sep 1996 00:09:40 -0400

Here are a couple my kids have used and then one adults used to play in
the days that the Lonely Mountain Defender Tournament had a games
competition.

These are both chasing games.  One is "Red Lion."  I can dig up the source
if you really want me to.  It's from some historical games book somewhere
in my house.

One is it, the lion, and has a den.   The runners come away from the base
near the den and chant "Red lion, red lion, come out of your den; whoever
you catch will be one of your men," after which the lion chases to catch. 
Whether a tag or a catch is required depends on the age and disposition of
kids, and on the terrain, and on the disposition of the parents to let the
kids play rough or not.  The "it" team grows, and the last runner caught
is the new lion.

Wooly Wooly Wolf is similar.   The difference is the signal for running
isn't the end of a jointly-chanted verse, but it's this bluff by the
leader of the sheep (runners):   
"I spy the wooly wooly... DOG"  (anything besides wolf is a false taunt
and the wolf can't run).  "I spy the wooly wooly  BEAR" or whatever, until
finally he says "I spy the wooly wooly WOLF and the wolf comes out and
catches some to be wolves with him.

The other one we played was something I learned in girl scouts slightly
modified.  No claim to it being period, but it was fun.

People sit in a circle on cushions or something else to indicate their
place.   We used cushions because we were outside, and in those days
people always made and had cushions.   (Hadn't thought about that for a
long time!)   Each person has a number, and the person who's it stands in
the middle of the circle and calls two numbers (any two but his own), and
those two switch chairs while "it" tries to steal a chair.  Whoever's left
is it.  There's no winning this game--it's just played until people are
tired of it.   The way I learned it was you could call "Fruit Basket
Upset" and everybody got up and got a different chair, no going back to
the one they had.   Our only adjustment was for it to say "The King is
Coming!" and everybody else, as they scrambled for a new chair said, "The
King is Coming."

There've been others we've tried that didn't stick.  One about the Roman
soldiers which the book's author considered really old.  It's hard to take
a game out of a book.

There's a kids' game called "colored eggs" which has nothing in or about
it to mar the period feel of an event.  I've run it at an event once, at a
formal children's activities place.  It worked out fine.

The painting "Children's Games" which someone already mentioned would give
you lots of ideas.

Sandra


Date: Mon, 09 Sep 1996 12:00:27 +0000
From: Aengus&Eibhlin <aengus at nauticom.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period games for children

Greetings all from Lady Eibhlin ni Chaoimh

Being a scribe, I decided to host a children's activity based on 
medieval painting. Starting with where did the illuminators get the 
paint.... Knowing that K-Mart was not an option, the children had some 
very interesting ideas of their own   ;-) .....and ending up with a 
free for all painting session for everyone. Even the adults who were 
curious at first, then amazed to find out that it works.

The paint was made the same way as period paints were, with a slight 
twist. We mixed the medieval binding medium glair (whipped egg whites 
and a little water. Made at home 2 days ahead of time and carried to 
the event in a jar.) with pigments ( <<eek>> not my good period ground 
pigments, but *kool-aid* ) This gives you a paint similar to a water 
color, not to mention it smells good   ;-)  
The children chose what *flavor* pigment they wanted and mixed it 
themselves.

Most SCA scribes use a paint called guache. It contains a small amount 
of white pigment that gives it an opaqueness rather than the 
transparency of watercolor. The modern recipe for non-toxic homemade 
guache

1 Tablespoon white vinegar mixed with 1 Tablespoon baking soda (yes,it 
bubbles) Wait til it stops and add 4 Tablespoons of corn starch, 1 
Tablespoon light corn syrup,and food coloring. Add water as needed for 
consistency. I poured it into plastic medicine cups and made about 15 
different colors. The remarkable thing about this recipe is that it 
can be dried out and reconstituted like the store bought kind. I made 
it ahead of time and took it dried to the event.

The children...and adults... got to see why modern tubes of paint are 
more convenient and accurate in color. (I mixed a color and had them 
try to reproduce it.)
They all got to see the differences between watercolors and guaches. 
And they got to paint pretty pictures to take home with them.

Not only did they have a good time, but they learned something in the 
process.

I hope this helps a little.
Eibhlin


From: Aoife <liontamr at postoffice.ptd.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Period games for children
Date: 9 Sep 1996 16:32:46 GMT
Organization: ProLog - PenTeleData, Inc.

There is always the game Jingles: One person is jingles. He/she wears 
jingle bells in a necklace or arm/leg band(belly dance coins, cow 
bells,.anything that makes a noise upon movement.). All other players 
wear blindfolds. Jingles must slip in and amongst the blindfolded players 
without being caught. The person who touches Jingles is then "it". This 
is a sort of reverse blind-man's bluff (also a period game). This game is 
wildly popular because there is fierce competition for those bells (and 
the sheer joy of ringing them!). Adults must referee by preventing 
children from walking into trees, etc. while blindfolded.

An old african game called Hawk Amongst the Hens has two long lines of 
children (the Hens), about 20 feet or so apart. Hawk is "it". The hens 
must scamper back and forth between the two lines continually. Hawk will 
try to tag them. Tagged hens sit out. Last Hen tagged (or last hen left) 
is then the Hawk.  

Mouse Trap is a game requiring 2 adults or older children to start. You 
need a "Cat", and lots and lots of "Mice". The two adults (the trap) will 
hold both hands, with arms raised so the "mice" can pass underneath in a 
continual stream. The Cat will stand so that he/she cannot see the mice 
or trap. As the mice pass in and out of the trap, the cat will suddenly 
shout "SNAP". Down go the Trap's arms. Any mice caught in the trap are 
then recruited to be part of the trap (they join the link, making more 
places for mice to enter and exit. The last Mouse caught then becomes the 
Cat ( or the last mouse left). I'm not sure this one is historical, but 
it's great fun.

They should be very tired after any of these games! you might also try 
some period playthings: Balls, skipping ropes and rhymes, marbles, jacks, 
dolls, windmills (pinwheels), hobby houses, etc....

Aoife


From: Sara Friedemann <RandomSF at wctc.net>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Activities for children
Date: 23 Sep 1996 13:00:17 GMT
Organization: Wood County Telephone Company

Paulette Lashley <Lashley at bigdog.fred.net> writes: > I have recently been 
given the task of searching for activities for
> children at events.  I hope to collect suggestions for both physically
> active types as well as "quieter" ones so I can intermingal the two.
> If you have great sources I need to consult or suggestions of games/activities
> you have used or seen I would love to hear from you.
> 
> I will be happy to share with others all that I have collected, as well
> as my own ideas, when I have them gathered together.

Pente!  Most school-age children should be old enough to learn to play this 
game.  It is also simple to make boards and
game pieces.

Aeronwy Cadwaladr of the West Wind


From: gbrent at rsc.anu.edu.au ()
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Activities for children
Date: 9 Oct 1996 00:51:46 GMT
Organization: Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University

>>Coloring is a common pastime, but make a change:
>>       make your own pages-to-be-colored, of shields w/charges,
>>    and key the areas to be colored with Heraldic color/metal names.
>>    They color, and learn to name things.
>
>Take an old plain blanket and applique simple shields on it. Make up 
>flattish bean bags with matching devices and use it as a toss game. Can toss 
>for matching charges, tinctures etc. (It's something I've been meaning to do 
>for a while -- the bean bags are a great way to use up the circular bits cut 
>out of the innumerable flat caps produced here...)

Reminds me of Lochac Twister. It's played on a Twister-type groundsheet,
with the devices of various Lochac groups instead of colours. Instead of
calling out "Left arm, green !" you call out "Left arm, College of Saint
Ursula !" You're out when you fall over or get the device wrong.

No, It's not period, but it's a good game to play at a time when
authenticity is relaxed.

        GtQ
        gbrent at rscsun.anu.edu.au


From: heatherford.manor at juno.com (Kateryn Heathrydge)
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 11:33:20 -0500
Subject: ANST - siege ammo

I remembered something this morning, I'm not sure if it's feaseable,
but...

I was once told of a MoC activity called "Felt Rocks".  It requires hot,
soapy water and a lot of wool, maybe carded, probably raw.  You wash a
small chunk of wool till it's drenched and beyond, then spread it on a
flat surface and roll it into a tight ball, not unlike rolling clay. 
Repeat until you have the size rock you desire, then take the ball and
run it thru the dryer on hot til dry.

The gentle who told me about this said the children made and dried these
rocks, then, that day, there was an indoor melee.  The smalls got to go
to a balcony and throw their rocks at the fighters.  She said it was very
safe and the fighters knew they were hit.

I would check with your fibre arts people about this, but I think you
could even dye the wool to your household colors :). . .

Kateryn Heathrydge
Grimfells, Calontir


Date: Wed, 05 Aug 1998 17:10:46 +0100
From: Robyn Probert <robyn.probert at lawpoint.com.au>
Subject: Re: SC - Kids and feasts

At 12:15 5/08/98 +1000, Sianen wrote:
>Speaking along such lines, and I'm sorry to get off topic here. does anyone
>know of interesting medieval childrens games that is fairly easy to learn
>and understand?  We are running out of games to play (aside from "Pin the
>glave on the autocrat' that is =>=>=>)

Always popular here are...
Blind man's buff - as we still play it

Hoodman's buff - required LOTS of blindfolds/hoods and one person who is
belled (with a belled belt/sash) inside a ring of keepers. The person who
the belled person swaps with them.

Beat the kettle - One person is blidfolded and guards an iron kettle (or
helm) with a boffer, sitting on his/her haunches with the kettle in front.
On the floor in front of the kettle, put a wooden spoon. The aim is to sneak
in, pick up the spoon, hit the kettle and get out before you get boffed. If
you get hit, you guard the kettle.

Tierce - form a ring of couples, with both people facing the centre of the
ring, one behind the other. You also have a runner and a chaser. If the
runner catches the chaser, their roles are reversed. To escape, the runner
can stand in front of one of the couples - the back person then becomes the
new runner. Lots of fun!

Small bean bags (about a handful of beans in each) can be thrown at or into
a target, like a helm, hoop, bowl, jug, etc.

Rowan


Date: Wed, 05 Aug 1998 06:31:08 -0400
From: Brenna <sunnie at exis.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Kids and feasts

 At 12:15 5/08/98 +1000, Sianen wrote:
>Speaking along such lines, and I'm sorry to get off topic here. does anyone
>know of interesting medieval childrens games that is fairly easy to learn
>and understand?  We are running out of games to play (aside from "Pin the
>glave on the autocrat' that is =>=>=>)

Try the unicorn ringtoss game (easy to construct).

Also, catch the dragon's tail which is a conga line that twists as the center
tries to keep the front from catching the tail.

The tangle brawl is a great kid's game/dance.  They love it.

You can joust on parentback (with pillows) for the really smalls.

Blinfold two (or more) children, put bells on belts or bracelets and give them
pillows to have a blind-man's bluff pillow fight.  The brawl is great if you can
come up with enough bells and blindfolds, but it can be unorganized or even
elimination style.

Boffer tourneys!

A ring (large like a hula hoop) in a bowling-style game (knocking over castles
made from milk cartons).

Crouquet.

I'll try to think of more.  Obviously, not all are period, but are per-iod.

Brenna


Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 08:17:39 -0700
From: "Anne-Marie Rousseau" <acrouss at gte.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Re: Kids Games was "Kids and feasts"

Hey all from Anne-Marie
re: kids/grownup games :)
we just held our annual Peasants revel. The peasants revelled a lot :)

the games this year:
- --hopping tag
- --barnyard animals (three groups of "animals" close their eyes and attempt
to find their buddies by making appropriate noises)
- --tunrip harvest
- --turnip tossing
- --izzy dizzy
- --wet rag on a stick (hooray!)
- --Edward the Stuffy's Butt Kicking Game (like soccer, with a cabbage)
- --gurning
- --Catch the Goat
- --Hunkerhausen
- --Twilsey Wop
- --Spit in the Bucket (they used koolaide this year. ugh)
- --Bang the Kettle
- --lots more I cant remember

General silliness and mayhem ensued, and  a good time was had by all
(regardless of age!)
- --AM who needs to get the grass stains out of her dress now...


Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 22:40:01 -0700
From: "Anne-Marie Rousseau" <acrouss at gte.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Re: Kids Games was "Kids and feasts"

Hi from Anne-Marie!
I'm asked for the "rules" for our peasant games...please recall that many of
these are reconstructed from paintings, etc, so we kinda had to make the
rules bits up to match what we thought we were seeing...:)

- --spit in the bucket. A relay, where members of a team attempt to run and
fill up a small bucket usuing only thier mouths to carry water (or this
year purple koolaid. ugh). First team to fill the bucket wins.

- --catch the goat. One of our guild memebers whos especially nimble ties a
couple flags on and runs about while kids (and grownups) attempt to catch
him.

- --wet rag on a stick. My fave! a person in the middle is blindfolded, and
given a short stick with a beer soaked rag on the end. Everyone else links
arms in a tight circle and goes around, taunting them. The blindfolded
person then flings the rag off the stick. Whoever it hits (SPLAT!) goes in
the middle.

- --bang the kettle. a person is blindfolded and seated, with a metal kettle
at their knees. They are given a boffer (not the real medieval stick,
sorry). folks attempt to get up to the kettle and whack it with a wooden
spoon without getting swatted with the boffer. If you get hit, you go in
the middle.

- --turnip harvest. a large circle on the ground is made with rope. turnips
are scattered in the circle. individuals are blindfolded and put on their
hands and knees in the circle. Team leaders are on the outside, with a pot
and spoon. Harvesters attempt to gather tunrips and get them to the
leaders, based solely on the sounds of the voice and the banging of the
pot.

- --Edward the Stuffy's Butt Kicking Game. Like soccer, but with a cabbage.
Makes rather spectaular cole slaw explosions.

- --hopping tag. Everyone is inside a circle made of rope. "It" is hopping on
one foot. If "It" tags you, then you must hop on one foot too, and can tag
others. A fine demonstration of logrithmic growth!

- --barnyard animals. three groups of "animals" close their eyes and attempt
to find their buddies by making appropriate noises. Most amusing!

- --turnip tossing. Folks have to toss said turnips into a sack...about 10-15
yards away, and over their shoulders.

- --izzy dizzy. Stick your head on a waist high stick and spin around a bunch
of times. Now, try and run back to your friends...NOT to be combined with
spit in the bucket.

- --gurning. a contest for making ugly faces

- --Hunkerhausen. tug of war on platforms.

- --Twilsey Wop. Pillow fighting on platforms

we also did turnip carving contests, hide and seek, a game where we made a
big knot of ourselves and attempted to untangle without breaking hands, egg
toss, etc.

it was fun!
- --AM, who was in charge of the peasant stew this year :)


Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1998 11:33:47 -0700
From: "Balldrich BallBarian BoulderBain" <msca at c2i2.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Kids and feasts

I have a favorite that I helped design with the SCA in mind.  I found a
display of Hornsbys ciders and it had a large Rhino head.  I was able to
get it from the distributer for a bottle of mead.  I then cut the rims off
3 pound margarine tubs, wrapped them with cloth scraps to make them a
little heavier and pretty.  Had kids trying to toss the rings onto the
Rhinos nose.  It was getting so wild that the kids had to contend with the
"big kids" trying to "horn in" so the kids made a rule that the "big kids"
had to run at the target on their knees.  You should have seen the laughs
when the armoured fools fell down and the kids fell on them.  It was a riot
and everyone had a snoot full of ring the Rhinos nose!
        We have also had bean bag wars between the fastest of the "big kids" and
the little guys.  Armour didn't help the big guys and the kids had a ball
hitting the armoured fools who had to take the hits as if in battle!  Ever
seen a fighter try to die from about twenty hits at one time?  Everyone
laughed at that one.
        Got lots more if you want them
        Balldrich


From: mizzi at aol.com (Mizzi)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Activities for children
Date: 30 Aug 1998 18:02:21 GMT

Another active game with very little equipment is jumping rope. One end can
even be tied to a fixed point so you would only need on turner.  Some of the
rhymes may be period.  Convincing boys that it is appropriate might be tricky
but once thay start it makes a very competitive active game that can be
modified for the little ones and the bigger boys.

I've had toddlers to teens jumping rope at Pennsic, boys and girls. I found
that once the rope started turning everyone around wanted to try.

Mairgret of Carrigart


Subject: Re: Kingdom Crusades, "kid stuff", part one
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 07:55:36 -0600
From: Greg Glewwe <glewweg at erols.com>
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org

>   Thanks Alasdair. I was hoping that someone would take up the challenge
>and post some other ideas - but no one did.

Greetings from Katherine Sharpe...

Sorry to have been slow on the up take...there are days I barely get a
chance to look at e-mail (and days my husband looks at it and starts
deleting files). It is amazing how many ideas get started when folks start
thinking about children's activities. We have a wonderful lady in our shire
who enjoys working with the kids and has designed a living chess-type
trivia game for older kids.  I don't know all the details about it. She is
usually at local events (and of course at Highland Foorde events). I have
also made costuming flash cards where younger kids match the cards and
older kids learn the different time periods and names of articles of
clothing and accessories. A Felt Heraldry Board is presently in my
possession. Basic shapes and some charges are cut out of appropriate colors
and can be combined to make devices and learn the terms. Role playing drama
play can be set up with particular situations in which the children play
characters and are given a situation to act out in which they used correct
SCA titles and some period speach...this occurs after a little workshop on
SCA protocal...Grace and Manners...what ever you'd like to title it.

When I was Minister of Children for the Barony of the Steppes, Ansteorra
(many, many years ago) I outlined a possible badge earning program,
inspired by the Girl Scout and Boy Scout programs. It never developed. I
will present the idea after Twelfth Night to Bran and if there is interest
I would be willing to develop it.

With a bit a creative thinnking one can give almost any modern activity a
period twist. I always found the most difficult part of organizing
activities for children...getting volunteers. Any suggestions?

Katherine Sharpe
Shire of Highland Foorde


Subject: Re: Children's activities
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 14:37:29 -0500
From: Carol_O'Leary at ed.gov (Carol O'Leary)
To: atlantia at adm.csc.ncsu.edu

Lady Katherine Sharpe, writing of children's activities, said,
     >With a bit a creative thinnking one can give almost any modern
     >activity a period twist.

While I'll concede Lady Katherine's point, it raises a question in my
mind -- Why should we want to do that with our children?

What we do in the SCA as adults is more on the order of using creative
thinking to give almost any period activity a modern twist (as I see
it).  I'd think that starting from modern activities and looking for
ways to give them some period content is a backwards way of looking at
the problem.

Our children have lots of opportunities to color and to play modern
games or with modern toys.  Why shouldn't we look for ways to let them
do the kinds of things that medieval children their age would have
done, instead of giving them pictures of knights and castles to color?

Many of the active games kids play now (like tag and blind man's buff
and innumerable variations on foot races) are period (or direct
descendants of period games), and kids left to their own devices to
invent games (obviously with supervision and occasional guidance) will
play "let's pretend" games with a medieval cast of characters instead
of TV-inspired ones.  There are board games that even young children
can play, as long as they understand the concept of taking turns, and
it's fun, especially with elementary school-age children, to tell them
what kids their age would have been expected to do, then let them try
their hands at carding or spinning on drop spindles or embroidery.
They can help in the kitchens, and serve tables, and run errands, and
bear water.  We need to be incorporating our children into our
activities, not isolating them and looking for "special" activities
for them that give them the wrong idea about what the SCA is all
about.

(Sorry -- I didn't mean to get up on my soapbox.  But I feel pretty
strongly about this -- Could you tell?)

Melisande de Belvoir


Subject: Re: ANST - period playground equipment?
Date: Thu, 01 Jul 1999 20:28:15 MST
From: Mahee of Acre <husted at hotmail.com>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/B/bruegel/bruegel_childrens_games.jpg.html

Above is the address for a paintings done by Pieter Bruegel in 1560 called
Children's Games. It does show children at play, but does not show any
"equipment." This would indicate that organized playground equiptment was
very unlikely.

Mahee & Medb

<the end>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	child-gam-msg